Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Benzinga
Benzinga
Technology
Vandana Singh

Merck's Keytruda Manages To Cross The Finish Line In Liver Cancer Confirmatory Trial

Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK) has posted the final results from the Phase 3 trial of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) plus best supportive care (BSC) in previously treated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

  • Keytruda slashed the risk of death by 21% over placebo in hepatocellular carcinoma patients in Asia who had previously received sorafenib. 
  • Merck's Keytruda also beat placebo at shrinking tumors and preventing disease progression, according to data presented at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.
  • The Company announced topline data in September
  • The results came from the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-394 trial, which is meant to serve as the new confirmatory trial for Keytruda's accelerated approval in post-Nexavar liver cancer; a previous phase 3 KEYNOTE-240 study narrowly missed its mark.
  • Keytruda showed a similar 22% reduction in the risk of death in the global KEYNOTE-240 trial. But the new Asian trial met statistical significance.
  • Keytruda + BSC showed a median overall survival of 14.6 months compared to 13.0 months on placebo. 
  • 34.3% of patients on the Keytruda regime stayed alive at two years compared to 24.9% for placebo plus BSC.
  • There were three deaths in the Keytruda arm related to the study intervention.
  • Price Action: MRK shares are down 0.50% at $81.13 during the premarket session on the last check Wednesday.
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.